1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a heat exchanger for an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a manifold for use in a plate-fin type evaporator for an automotive vehicle.
2. Disclosure information
Plate-fin heat exchangers are well known in the art. In these types of heat exchangers, a plurality of elongated plates are joined together, such as through a lamination process to define a plurality of passageways for the movement of a fluid therethrough. Each of the passageways is formed by the inwardly facing surfaces of a pair of joined plates so as to form a flat pipe. The interior surfaces of the joined plates generally define a central fluid conducting section. The passageways are interconnected so that a fluid may flow through the plurality of joined plates forming the heat exchanger. As is also known in the art, conductive fin strips are located between outwardly facing surfaces of the pairs of joined plates. Heat exchangers of this type have particular utility as evaporators for air conditioning systems of motor vehicles.
Typically, plate-fin heat exchangers are manufactured by stacking a plurality of individual plates together to form a flat pipe and interleaving fin members between each pipe. An inlet and outlet manifold are then inserted between a pair of pipes to provide for fluid communication into and out of the evaporator. Endsheets are then placed on opposite ends of the heat exchanger to form a heat exchanger core and the core is brazed in a furnace to complete the manufacturing process.
Various types of manifold designs have been proposed for use in a plate-fin type heat exchanger. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,038 discloses a two-piece manifold wherein the manifold is formed from a pair of semi-tubular members joined together in an abutting manner. However, a two-piece manifold assembly can often leak if the braze between the two pieces is not performed properly. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a manifold for a heat exchanger which eliminates the need for a brazing operation to be performed on the manifold to ensure a leak-free component.